1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water craft. More specifically, the present invention relates to a hydrofoil equipped watercraft which is able to lift and support a main body of the vehicle above the surface of the water and produce aircraft-like maneuverability during operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,607 issued to Rorabaugh et al. on Aug. 13, 1996, discloses a watercraft which is equipped with both hydrofoils and pivotal pontoons or sponsons. Embodiments disclosed in this patent include a personal hydrofoil watercraft which is essentially similar to the so-called "jet-ski" and which is provided with fore-and-aft-hydrofoil assemblies that are aligned with one another and which respectively have horizontally extending fin members which are adapted to produce lift as the vehicle passes through the water. The lower end of the rear hydrofoil assembly is also provided with a propulsion section which takes the form of an elongate aircraft engine-like nacelle.
However, while this arrangement has enabled the body of the jet-ski like arrangement to be lifted out of the water during operation, it has lacked the ability to produce any driving characteristics other than that which would be derived with conventional hydrofoil boats of a similar nature. That is to say, it handles essentially like a boat equipped with hydrofoils and is incapable of producing any unexpected handling characteristics.
Other attempts to provide high performance watercraft which utilize hydrofoils are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,099 issued to Holder on Jan. 1, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,958 issued to Guild on Nov. 1, 1994; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,870 issued to Cook on Jul. 19, 1994. However, these arrangements, like that disclosed in the Rorabaugh et al. patent, have been such as to behave merely as boats which are equipped with hydrofoils, and have lacked the ability to produce aircraft-like control characteristics during operation.
A further attempt to produce an aircraft-like water vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,773 issued to Manor on May 22, 1990. In this arrangement, the water vehicle is provided with both hydrofoils and a bat-like lifting body type wing which reacts with the air flowing thereagainst and cooperates with the foils during operation of the vehicle to improve the lift and control characteristics. However, this arrangement has exhibited even less aircraft like characteristics than the above-mentioned arrangements in that it is based on a pontoon-type arrangement which defeats the ability of the vehicle to exhibit side to side roll, nose dive (pitch) etc.